Prep Plus: Football formula seems to be paying dividends

November 14, 2012

American News Photo by John Davis

A few years ago, the South Dakota High School Activities Association made a major change in the football playoff scene and by the looks of last weekend’s championship games, that move is paying dividends.

The SDHSAA implemented a rule for every division but Class 11AA (which has its own modified system that provides byes for the top four teams) that reseeded all the playoff teams following the first round of post-season games. That meant that if two top teams were in the same region, they would not necessarily play each other in the quarterfinals anymore and could end up meeting for a state title.

That happened twice last weekend during the football finals when Deubrook Area and Howard, each in Region 2 of Class 9AA, met for the title, and Harding County and Colome, both members of Region 4 in Class 9B, squared off in that final.

Not only that, but in every division except one, the top two-seeded teams reached the championship game.

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“I think across the board the AD’s (athletic directors) and the coaches are happy with it,” said John Krogstrand, assistant executive director of the SDHSAA. “It’s definitely helped us avoid those earlier matchups.”

Naturally, there has been a few negatives involved such as teams having to cross the state on a school night for a quarterfinal or semifinal game as was the case with St. Thomas More traveling to Flandreau and Dakota Valley playing at Spearfish, both on a Monday night.

“Those are going to happen and be a by-product of that,” Krogstrand noted.

However, there were also two championship games that pitted undefeated teams against each other and in every case but the 9AA title game, the two top-seeded teams made it to the finals.

There has long been debate about similar formulas being explored for basketball and volleyball, but those talks have stalled in the past because some schools still want their region to be represented at the state tournament.

“I think there’s a hard and fast agreement that that region representation is a major factor,” Krogstrand said.

That said, he did point out that starting next season Class A will no longer be having district tournaments in basketball. Teams will automatically move on to regional tournaments.

He said moves like that are ideas similar to the new concept now employed in football.

“I think there’s been a step in that direction,” Krogstrand said.

Sports writer Dave Vilhauer

Helmet to headgear

Tyson Mitzel of Aberdeen Roncalli is used to wrestling practice. The junior is just not used to being sore before those practices start.

Mitzel, along with Zach Sumner, Matt Schlosser and Brayden Hilton, just finished up their football seasons with Roncalli on Nov. 3. Less than 10 days later, they were in the wrestling room preparing for the upcoming mat season.

“We’re definitely feeling it,” Mitzel said. “We definitely have a couple of guys on the team that have some bumps and bruises still lingering.”

Mitzel played football for the first time last season, but when the Cavaliers failed to make the playoffs, he still had about a month off before wrestling.

However, since Roncalli advanced to the semifinals in the football playoffs this fall, Mitzel had very little time to recover.

“Hopefully, by the end of the week, everything is just healed up and we can just go to town,” Mitzel said.

Mitzel said football has actually helped in his wrestling preparation.